Professional ASIC Design Services

01What is ASIC Design?

ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) design is the process of creating custom silicon chips optimized for a particular application or function. Unlike general-purpose processors or FPGAs, ASICs are built to excel at specific tasks with maximum efficiency in performance, power, and cost at volume.

Why Choose ASIC?

ASICs offer significant advantages over FPGA and software solutions: 10-100x better power efficiency, 2-10x higher performance, lower per-unit cost at volume, smaller form factor, enhanced security through dedicated silicon, and protection of proprietary algorithms in hardware.

ASIC vs FPGA

FPGAs are flexible and fast to market but have higher power consumption and per-unit cost. ASICs require upfront NRE (Non-Recurring Engineering) investment but deliver superior PPA (Power, Performance, Area) and lower cost at scale. For volumes above 10,000-100,000 units, ASIC typically wins on total cost.

Full-Custom vs Standard-Cell ASIC

Standard-cell ASIC design uses pre-characterized logic cells from foundry libraries, enabling faster development. Full-custom design creates every transistor layout manually for ultimate optimization. Most modern ASIC design services use standard-cell flow with custom analog blocks where needed.

02Our ASIC Design Service Offerings

Comprehensive ASIC design services covering the complete chip development lifecycle. From architectural specification to production-ready GDSII.

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  Digital ASIC Design

  RTL design and verification, synthesis optimization, DFT insertion, timing closure, and physical implementation. Experience with complex SoCs, processors, accelerators, and high-speed interfaces up to 112G SerDes.

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  Mixed-Signal ASIC Design

  Integration of analog and digital circuits on the same die. ADCs, DACs, PLLs, high-speed I/O, power management, and sensor interfaces. Critical for IoT, automotive, medical, and communications applications.

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  Analog IC Design

  Precision analog circuits including amplifiers, references, regulators, data converters, and RF front-ends. Low-noise, high-linearity designs for demanding applications in measurement, instrumentation, and wireless systems.

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  Physical Design & Layout

  Place-and-route, clock tree synthesis, power grid design, IR drop analysis, and GDSII sign-off. Full physical verification including DRC, LVS, antenna checks, and foundry-specific requirements.

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  Verification Services

  Comprehensive verification methodology using UVM/SystemVerilog. Functional simulation, formal verification, coverage analysis, FPGA prototyping, and silicon validation support.

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  IP Integration

  Integration of third-party IPs (CPU cores, memories, interfaces) and in-house IP blocks. IP qualification, integration verification, and system-level validation for complex SoC designs.

03ASIC Design Flow

Our ASIC chip design follows an industry-standard methodology ensuring predictable schedules and first-time silicon success.

1. 01
   Specification & Architecture

   Define functional requirements, performance targets, and system architecture. Create detailed specifications including interfaces, protocols, power budget, and test strategy.
2. 02
   RTL Design & Verification

   Implement the design in Verilog/SystemVerilog. Develop comprehensive verification environment with UVM testbenches. Achieve functional coverage targets before synthesis.
3. 03
   Synthesis & DFT

   Synthesize RTL to gate-level netlist. Insert scan chains, BIST, and other DFT structures. Optimize for area, timing, and power. Generate SDC constraints.
4. 04
   Physical Implementation

   Floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis, and routing. Power grid design with IR drop analysis. Timing closure across all PVT corners and modes.
5. 05
   Sign-off & Tapeout

   Complete physical verification (DRC, LVS, ERC). Static timing analysis sign-off. Power analysis. Generate final GDSII and submit for fabrication.
6. 06
   Silicon Validation

   Post-silicon bring-up and characterization. Debug support for first silicon issues. Production test program development and yield optimization.

04Mixed-Signal ASIC Design Expertise

Mixed-signal ASIC design combines analog and digital circuits on a single chip, requiring specialized expertise in both domains plus the critical interfaces between them.

Data Converter Design

High-resolution SAR, sigma-delta, and pipeline ADCs. Current-steering, R-2R, and oversampling DACs. From 8-bit to 24-bit resolution, DC to GHz sampling rates.

Clock & Timing Circuits

Integer-N and fractional-N PLLs, DLLs, CDR circuits, and clock distribution networks. Jitter performance optimization for high-speed SerDes and precision measurement applications.

Power Management

Integrated voltage regulators (LDO, switching), battery chargers, power sequencing, and energy harvesting circuits. Multi-rail power management for complex SoC applications.

Sensor Interfaces

Analog front-ends for temperature, pressure, acceleration, magnetic, and optical sensors. Low-noise amplification, signal conditioning, and digitization for precision measurements.

05Industry-Standard EDA Tools

Our ASIC design services utilize leading electronic design automation tools to ensure silicon-proven results.

06ASIC Design Services FAQ

Common questions about custom IC design and ASIC development services.

What is ASIC design?

ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) design is the process of creating custom integrated circuits optimized for a specific application. Unlike general-purpose chips, ASICs are designed to perform particular functions with maximum efficiency. The design process includes architecture definition, RTL coding, verification, synthesis, physical implementation, and tapeout for fabrication.

How long does ASIC design take?

ASIC design timelines vary significantly based on complexity: Simple digital ASICs (50K-500K gates): 6-12 months. Mid-complexity SoCs (1M-10M gates): 12-18 months. Complex mixed-signal or high-performance designs: 18-24+ months. These timelines include specification, design, verification, and tapeout. Add 3-4 months for fabrication and packaging.

How much does ASIC design cost?

ASIC design services costs range from $500K to $10M+ depending on complexity. Key factors: design complexity (gate count, analog content), process node (advanced nodes require more effort), verification requirements, and IP licensing. NRE (Non-Recurring Engineering) is the main cost component. At volume production, per-unit costs can be very low ($1-$10 for mature nodes).

What is mixed-signal ASIC design?

Mixed-signal ASIC design involves creating chips that contain both analog and digital circuits on the same die. This includes data converters (ADC/DAC), PLLs, voltage regulators, and sensor interfaces alongside digital logic. Mixed-signal design requires expertise in both domains plus careful management of the analog-digital interface to prevent noise coupling and ensure signal integrity.

When should I choose ASIC over FPGA?

Choose ASIC when: (1) Production volume exceeds 10,000-100,000 units, (2) Power consumption is critical, (3) Maximum performance is required, (4) Smallest form factor is needed, (5) Algorithm protection/security is important, (6) Unit cost must be minimized at scale. Choose FPGA when: time-to-market is critical, volumes are low, or design changes are expected.

What process nodes are available for ASIC design?

ASIC design services cover nodes from 350nm legacy processes to cutting-edge 5nm/3nm. Common choices: 180nm-65nm for analog/mixed-signal (lower cost, good analog performance), 55nm-28nm for mainstream digital (best cost/performance balance), 16nm-7nm for high-performance (mobile processors, AI accelerators). Node selection depends on performance needs, power budget, and cost targets.

Do you provide turnkey ASIC design services?

Yes, we offer full turnkey ASIC design services from specification through production. This includes: requirements analysis, architecture definition, RTL/analog design, verification, physical implementation, tapeout, foundry coordination, packaging, testing, and production support. Clients receive working silicon without needing internal IC design expertise.

What verification methodology do you use?

We follow industry-standard verification methodology using UVM (Universal Verification Methodology) with SystemVerilog. This includes: constrained-random verification, functional coverage metrics, formal verification for critical blocks, gate-level simulation, static timing analysis, and power analysis. We target >95% functional coverage before tapeout.

Start Your ASIC Design Project

Discuss your custom IC requirements with our expert ASIC design team. We'll help you define the optimal architecture and development plan.

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